The present invention relates to a cardiac device for treating cardiac disease. In particular, the present invention relates to a cardiac assist device for assisting with the blood pumping action of the heart.
The heart pumps blood to the body from chambers of the heart. In particular, blood is pumped from a right ventricle through a pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery for oxygenation by the lungs. Oxygenated blood flows into the left ventricle and is pumped from the left ventricle throughout the body. Blood flows into the ventricle chambers during a diastole phase where the ventricle chamber is dilated or relaxed and is pumped from the ventricle chamber during a systole phase when the heart muscle is contracted.
The walls or muscle of a diseased heart can interfere with expansion or contraction of the heart or ventricles for systolic and diastolic phases. In particular, a diseased heart may include areas of non-contracting tissue, caused for example by a myocardial infraction, a hypoperfused area, or area of localized tissue death or necrosis. The non-contracting tissue may interfere with effective pumping during systole. In addition, a diseased heart may include areas that do not expand during diastole, thereby preventing proper filling of the ventricle chamber in preparation for the next systolic phase. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems and offer advantages over the prior art.